11-8-15 vs Pacers

clecshilling

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Tuesday night’s matchup pits one team just starting a four-game road trip against another wrapping up a four-gamer at home.

The Jazz begin their tough trip with a stop at The Q, where they’ve dropped three straight and nine of the last 11. The Cavaliers, who’ve topped 15 of the last 16 Western Conference foes they’ve faced dating back to last season, including eight straight at The Q. The Jazz, who’ve already played four of their first six games on the road, have won four of five after dropping the season opener in Detroit.

Last year, the two clubs split their season series, with Gordon Hayward sinking the Wine and Gold on a buzzer-beater in Salt Lake City just over one year ago before the Wine and Gold handed them a two-touchdown loss late last January. The Cavaliers will look to make it seven straight before embarking on a three-game trip of their own, but it won’t be easy against a Jazz team that leads the league in defense.

Last year, Hayward made some headlines when he playfully called out LeBron James – then proceeded to drill the game-winner in Utah.

This year, the former Butler star leads Utah in scoring at 15.5 ppg and last year, he averaged 17.5 ppg against the Cavaliers. Since 2010-11, he’s averaging an even 20.0 against Cleveland at The Q – his highest road scoring average against any team and he’s one of three players in league history to raise his scoring average by at least two points per season in four straight years – joining Gary Payton and Kobe Bryant.

Hayward will have to go against the game’s best on Tuesday night – with LeBron James coming into the contest averaging 30.0 ppg over his last two, dropping 29 points on the Pacers after dropping 31 on Philly (despite taking a knee to the quad) two nights earlier. James, who passed Jerry West for 19th place on the NBA’s all-time field goals made list, averaged 28.5 ppg in two games against the Jazz last year and has dropped at least 30 points on Utah in nine of his last 13 meetings.

Even without Kyrie Irving in the lineup – still nursing offseason knee surgery – the Cavaliers have been strong at the point guard position.

Over the last four games, Mo Williams – who was originally drafted by the Jazz in 2003 – is averaging 17.3 points on 50 percent shooting (28-56) to go with 5.8 assists and 3.5 boards. Williams’ backup, Matthew Dellavedova, handed out a game-high nine assists in Sunday’s win over Indiana and is averaging 6.1 helpers this season, good for 4th among all reserves. Delly has also tallied double-figure scoring in three of Cleveland’s previous five contests.

The Jazz start Brazilian rookie, Raul Neto, but Delly will have his work cut out for him on Tuesday night when he goes up against Utah’s Trey Burke – who’s averaged 15.6 points over the last five games, including a 24-point outburst with a career-high six 3-pointers in a home win over Memphis on Saturday.

Tuesday’s match features two of the best rebounding combos in the NBA – Cleveland’s Kevin Love (12.6 rpg) and Tristan Thompson (10.0) and Utah’s Derrick Favors (9.0) and Rudy Gobert (12.7).

Love is coming off his best rebounding game of the year, snagging 19 boards to go with 22 points in Sunday’s victory over the Pacers – doubling up for the third straight game (and fifth time this season) after going 8-of-12 from the floor in the second stanza. Love is two three-pointers away from 600 and would become just the second player in NBA history to tally 600 treys and average over 10.0 rebounds for a career, joining the legendary Larry Bird. The three-time All-Star is also just two double-doubles away from 300 for his career – becoming just the 11th active player to do so – and has tallied more double-doubles (12) against the Jazz than anyone else in the league since 2010-11.

Thompson finished with a season-high 16 points on Sunday, grabbing eight boards to go with a pair of steals. Thompson, the top rebounding reserve in the NBA, has grabbed at least eight rebounds in every game this season.

The Cavaliers have been excellent at The Q when they top the century mark, rattling off 26 straight wins in which they’ve scored over 100 points. Cleveland is averaging 102.1 points per contest – good for 4th in the Eastern Conference, topping triple-figures in five of their last six contests and currently ranking 3rd in the NBA in assists.

But they’ll be going against the league’s top defense on Tuesday night – one that’s holding opponents to a league-low 85.0 points per game on 39.4 percent shooting. Utah also leads the league in opponents’ points in the paint at just 33.3 ppg – largely due to Gobert, who’s established himself as one of the best shot-blockers in the Association. The French big man is leading the NBA, averaging 4.0 swats per contest this season, and has posted 26 games of 3+ blocks since last year’s All-Star Game, tops in the league over that span.

The Jazz were one of the top defenses in the league last season – and this year they’ve shaved 9.9 points off their average from a year ago.

five-keys-cavaliers-vs-jazz

Five Keys: Cavaliers vs. Jazz

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Wrap-Up – Weekday, weekend – it’s never an easy day at the office against the Pacers. The Cavaliers won their sixth straight on Sunday, but Indiana made them work for it.

But after 15 ties and 21 lead-changes, the Wine and Gold weathered the storm – sealing the win with a pair of perfect passes from LeBron James to Kevin Love to pull out the 101-97 victory on Sunday afternoon at The Q.

James and Love combined for 51 of Cleveland’s 101 points to keep the win streak alive. LeBron followed his 31-point performance from Friday night with 29 more on Sunday – going 10-of-23 from the floor, adding six boards and four assists – including two helpers in the final 27 seconds to ice the victory.

With 44 seconds remaining, Indy’s Monta Ellis canned a pair of free throws to get the Pacers to within three, 95-92. But after a timeout, the Cavaliers ran through a well-designed play that saw Love flash open on the baseline. LeBron found him for the layup to give Cleveland a two-possession edge.

But on the Pacers’ next possession, Paul George canned a three-pointer to get Indiana back to within a deuce. The Pacers tried to press Cleveland in the backcourt, but in-bounded the ball to Matthew Dellavedova, who fed ahead the timeline to LeBron, who fired the ball to an awaiting Love, who threw down the dunk with 8.2. to play that put the Wine and Gold up four.

Love overcame a cool-shooting first half – hitting just one of six attempts before intermission – to finish with 22 points and a season-high 19 boards, doubling up for the third straight game (and fifth time this season) after going 8-of-12 from the floor in the second stanza.

Love’s backup, Tristan Thompson, was almost as good on Sunday evening – finishing with a season-high 16 points on 7-for-8 shooting, grabbing eight boards to go with a pair of steals. Thompson, the top rebounding reserve in the NBA, has grabbed at least eight rebounds in every game this season and on Sunday, passed Phil Hubbard for 7th place on Cleveland’s all-time offensive rebounding list.

Mo Williams rounded out the Cavaliers in double-figures, finishing with 10 points and eight assists. His backup, Dellavedova, led both squad with nine assists in the victory – adding five points and a steal.

The Cavaliers out-rebounded the Pacers, 48-47, and handed out 25 assists to Indy’s 22. Cleveland has topped its opponent in both categories in each of their first seven games this season.

Turning Point – In a back-and-forth affair like Sunday afternoon’s, the game didn’t ebb one way or the other until the closing seconds.

The Cavaliers had a chance to open up the affair late in the third quarter – nursing an 11-point lead with 3:25 to play in the period. But treys by Chase Budinger and Paul George propelled a 13-3 Pacers run and the Wine and Gold went into the final quarter ahead by just a point.

Cleveland build a nine-point lead in the fourth, but the Pacers again fought back – using a 13-4 run to tie the game at 90-apiece with 3:47 to play. But Tristan Thompson gave the Cavaliers a two-point lead on the next possession and David Blatt’s squad didn’t trail the rest of the way.

By the Numbers – 26-13 … bench scoring for both teams, with Cleveland’s reserves doubling Indiana’s production. So far this season, the Cavaliers are 5-0 when outscoring their opponent’s bench.

Quotable – Coach David Blatt, on Timofey Mozgov’s two three-point attempts on Sunday …

” When I had (Timo) on the Russian national team, he never, EVER thought to shoot a three-point shot – let alone tell the coach that he’s a three-point shooter. Isn’t it interesting how people change when they find themselves in a different environment? We ran a set in Memphis at the end of the half in the corner free. And I’ve been telling him: ‘Timo, if you make the first one, you can take another one. And if you miss it, you can’t.’ Well, he made the first one, so he got a second look. And fortunately he didn’t go beyond that – he was smart, he didn’t get greedy. He took one, he missed one. Now we can start all over again.”

Up Next – After winning three of their first four games on the mini-homestand, the Wine and Gold close out the four-gamer on Tuesday night when Quinn Snyder’s Jazz come to The Q. Following Tuesday’s matchup, the Cavs hit the road for the next three – beginning with a weekend back-to-back, against the Knicks in New York on Friday before taking on the young Bucks the following night in Milwaukee. The Cavaliers round out the roadie next Tuesday night when they travel to the Motor City for their first meeting of the year with the Pistons.

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Cavs Outlast Pacers to Take Sixth Straight

clenadams

Listen to Radio Play-by-Play announcer John Michael's Call of the Game during the Cavs game against the Indiana Pacers at Quicken Loans Arena on November 8, 2015. Matthew Dellavedova feeds Tristan Thompson for the alley-oop, plus the foul.

Escucha a la voz en español de los Cavaliers Rafa "El Alcalde" con la narración de la jugada del partido entre Los Cavaliers de Cleveland y Los Pacers de Indiana en el Quicken Loans Arena de Cleveland, OH  el 8 de Noviembre del 2015. Los Cavs consiguieron su sexta victoria consecutiva al derrotar a Los Pacers 101 - 97 con un gran noche en equipo. LeBron anotó 29 puntos y Kevin Love consiguió su 5to Doble-Doble de la temporada con 22 puntos y 19 rebotes. La victoria fue sellada en una jugada en conjunto que empezó debajo de la canasta de los cavs y después de cinco pases, culminó con Kevin Love clavándola y poniendo a Los Cavs arriba por 4 con 8 segundos por jugar en el encuentro.

(On the play call to set up Kevin Love for the layup that put the Cavs up five late in the game): “Something that we’ve run before but not often. We were considering some different options. Actually, LeBron (James) suggested that we use that. That was something that we have used in the past and we executed it beautifully.”

(On the team’s demeanor going into the fourth quarter): “First of all, we started the fourth quarter off very well, having a one-point lead. Then those guys got some stops, Mo (Williams) was able to make some plays, Kev (Kevin Love) made a good transition three, RJ (Richard Jefferson) got a steal. Those guys played some good ball. Indy (Indiana Pacers) is a very, very good team. They made it their game. We just want to continue to try to execute and defend and put ourselves in a position to be successful.”

(On what got him going after a rough shooting start): “LeBron talked to me at halftime – just got me going, that’s all it was. I mentioned to him I kind of wanted to just free flow and get myself near the basket and that’s what I did. I got myself into a good rhythm rebounding the ball. I credit my teammates a lot, but it started with him and just kind of trickled down with everybody else.”

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Sounds of the Game: Cavaliers vs. Pacers - November 8, 2015

cleveland-cavaliers-vs-indiana-pacers-november-8-2015

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers - November 8, 2015

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The Cavaliers welcome the new-look Pacers to The Q for the first time this season when Indy rolls in for Cleveland’s first Sunday matinee of the season.

The Cavaliers haven’t lost at home this season and have won 22 of their last 23 regular season contests on the corner of Huron and Ontario. Another streak that might interest the Pacers is the 12 straight home wins the Wine and Gold have posted at home with LeBron James in the lineup for Cleveland.

Of course, there’s also a question of how LeBron’s leg is feeling after taking a knee to the quad late in Friday night’s win over Philly. In that victory, James had his best game of the season, netting 18 of his 31 points in the third quarter and leading both squads with a season-high 13 helpers.

The Pacers have won all three games in November – including Friday night’s win over Miami in those sweet Hickory uniforms – after dropping their first three in October.

Another game-time decision to keep your eyes on this afternoon is whether J.R. Smith, who suffered a knee/quad injury of his own in the Cavaliers first game against Philadelphia, limiting him to just five minutes in that affair and keeping him in street clothes for the next two.

Following Saturday’s practice at Cleveland Clinic Courts, Coach Blatt reported that Smith had practiced and there was a chance he’d be able to suit up on Sunday. Smith had been scuffling through the first four games of the season – averaging just 4.8 ppg, shooting 27 percent from the floor and 14 percent from beyond the arc. But as we’ve seen in the past, no one can get hotter faster than the 11-year veteran.

On the other side, former Cavalier C.J. Miles is also a game-time decision – missing Indy’s previous two games after tweaking his ankle against Detroit on Tuesday night.

Whether Smith is able to go or not, the Pacers’ backcourt will present challenges for the Cavaliers on Sunday – and opponents all season long.

Gone are the plodding Pacers, who relied on rebounding and low-post action by Roy Hibbert and David West. Though he’s still their main offensive option, Paul George is now manning the 4, while Indy’s offense runs through the dynamic guard duo of George Hill and Monta Ellis.

Hill averaged 19.7 points and 7.3 assists in three games against Cleveland last year -- winning two of the three. Monta Ellis has been a Cav-killer no matter where he’s played, averaging 20.5 points in 22 career contests against the Wine and Gold.

Jared Cunningham got his first career start on Friday and turned in a solid performance, Mo Williams had another strong night and is averaging 19.7 points on 59 percent shooting over the previous three games and Matthew Dellavedova added another double-digit scoring night off the bench, despite shooting poorly from the floor. Whoever starts and plays in Cleveland’s backcourt on Sunday afternoon better be ready for a very different Pacers team.

Kevin Love has been the Cavaliers most steady performer through the first five games of the season. He hasn’t put up big numbers like LeBron; he’s just done the blue collar work that’s helped his squad win five straight.

Love has tallied double-doubles in four of his last five games and is averaging 16.2 points and 11.5 boards per. His shooting percentages from the floor are slightly down, but he’s missed just a single free throw this season. Love is also just four three-pointers away from 600 for his career – which would make him just the second player in NBA history to have averaged 10.0 boards and made 600 career treys – joining the great Larry Bird.

Love’s backup, Tristan Thompson, has been just as good off the bench – leading all reserves in rebounding. Through five games, Tristan has snagged at least eight boards in each contest, including an 11-rebound performance against Philly on Friday night, despite taking stitches to his eyelid in the first half. Thompson, who’s averaging 10.3 boards per contest this season and 12.0 over the last two games, is three offensive boards from passing Phil Hubbard for seventh on the Cavaliers’ all-time list.

With so much production from everywhere else on the floor, the Cavaliers’ big men have had kind of a quiet start to the 2015-16 season.

Timofey Mozgov is averaging just over 21 minutes per game this season; Anderson Varejao, just over nine minutes. It’s not that they haven’t both been effective and Mozgov’s posted double-figure scoring over the previous two contests. They’ve also faced (and mitigated) some stiff competition through the first six games – including both Gasols, Hassan Whiteside and impressive rookie, Jahlil Okafor.

But Sunday might be an opportunity for Cleveland’s bigs to have a break-out afternoon.

With Hibbert manning the middle for the Lakers, the Pacers go with Ian Mahinmi at center (with George at power forward and C.J. Miles at the 3). Rookie Myles Turner has gotten off to a good start, but he’ll have to go against a pair of experienced pivotmen when his Pacers roll into Cleveland against a red-hot squad on Sunday.

five-keys-cavaliers-vs-pacers

Five Keys: Cavaliers vs. Pacers

The Cavaliers will look to extend their five-game winning streak when they host the Indiana Pacers in a matinee contest on Sunday at Quicken Loans Arena. Tipoff is at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Cleveland (5-1) is a perfect 3-0 at The Q this season and hold a 23-1 mark at home since Jan. 19 of last season. Over that 24-game stretch at The Q, the Cavaliers are outscoring opponents by 12.4 points per game (105.2-92.8). The Wine and Gold have also won 25 straight home games when scoring at least 100 points.

Cavs to don white jerseys tonight
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Get into the conversation with other die-hards.

The Cavaliers picked up their 5th consecutive win after defeating the Philadelphia 76ers, 108-102, on Friday night at The Q. The team put together solid offense, shooting 45-88 (.511) from the field and dishing out a season-high tying 29 assists. Six Cavs players scored in double figures: LeBron James (31), Richard Jefferson (17), Timofey Mozgov (13), Kevin Love (12) and Matthew Dellavedova (11).

Cleveland is averaging 19.8 fast break points per game, which is the 3rd-best in the NBA. Coming into Sunday’s game, the Cavs have scored at least 20 fast break points in each of the last three games, averaging 24.0 points in transition during that span.

This season, the Cavaliers have dished out 26.3 assists per game (2nd in NBA) to their opponents’ 18.3 (+8.0 diff. is 2nd in NBA), while also outrebounding their opponents 48.2 to 40.0 (+8.2 diff. is tied-3rd in NBA).

Indiana (3-3) began their 2015-16 campaign with three straight losses after allowing an average of 105.0 points. The Pacers have seemed to turn things around in their current three-game winning streak and are allowing just 89.0 points per game after holding Miami to just 38 points after halftime in Friday's 90-87 victory over the Heat.

The Pacers All-Star forward, Paul George, has come on strong as of late, scoring 62 points while shooting 22-45 from the field in their last two contests.

TV: FOX Sports Ohio, Radio: WTAM 1100, 100.7 WMMS, 87.7 La Mega

For live in-game updates, follow @cavs, @CavsJoeG, @CavsFredMcLeod, @MrCavalier34, @CavsJMike and @chones22 on Twitter.

Probable Starters/Status Update* presented by  

Status Update: (Cavs) - Iman Shumpert, (Ruptured Extensor Carpi Ulnaris, Out), Kyrie Irving, (Fractured Left Knee Cap, Out), J.R. Smith, (Right Knee Contusion, Quadriceps Tendinitis, Doubtful)

Status Update: (Pacers) - Ian Mahinmi, (Sore Lower Back, Questionable), C.J. Miles, (Sore Right Ankle, Questionable)

Sunday's matchup will be the first of four regular season meetings between the two Central Division foes, as the Cavs have won three straight home contests against the Pacers.

Furthermore, the Cavaliers have won 12 straight against Indiana in Cleveland when LeBron James suits up for the Wine and Gold dating back to the 2004-05 season.

After tonight's game, the Cavaliers conclude their four-game homestand on Tuesday for Hoops for Troops night against the Utah Jazz at 7:00 p.m. ET.GET TICKETS | VIEW FULL SCHEDULE

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Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers - November 8, 2015

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11‑8‑15 vs Pacers